Cats at Sea

To the sailor of old, "the cat" was not necessarily a pleasant sight. The word "cat" could refer
to the cat 'o nine tails, a fearsome whip used for punishment. That aside, feline cats were normally
welcome on board ship, albeit as working animals rather than pets.

The chief reason for having cats at sea was primarily practical. By catching mice, rats
and other pests the ship's cat was performing a valuable service. If left to spread, these
vermin could seriously damage the ship's supplies and possibly cargo. Having your food
stocks destroyed by rats when in the middle of the ocean is not something to be taken
lightly.

A good ratter was thus highly popular on board ship. Sailors believed that unusual
polydactyl cats - those with more than the normal number of toes on their feet -
were better at catching pests. This may be connected with the suggestion that the extra
digit gives a polydactyl cat better balance when at sea.

Polydactyl cats have sometimes been called "ship's cats" even when on land.

Luck

Beyond their practical benefits, sailors also believed cats on ships to be lucky. This
might in part be due to the simple logic that a catless ship overrun by rats was
definitely unlucky! However the belief that cats at sea brought luck is likely to be connected with the cat's long
standing reputation for being a lucky creature in general.

For sailors one of the most important influences for good or bad fortune was the weather - calm or storms?
Cats were sometimes said to be able to predict the weather. Sometimes it was said that they
could actually control the weather, using their tails to call up winds for good or ill
depending on their mood.

It was therefore important to treat your ship's cat well.
Some sailors went as far as to believe that if the ship's cat fell overboard then it would
retaliate by calling up a fearsome storm to sink the ship.